u/No_Battle734

This is my second part of my journey. I want to talk about grooming, non - invasive procedures.
In my case it was clear that if basics are not there, grooming and procedures will not help.
I will talk in terms of points what I tried and what was worth it. I would also pinpoint that I disagree with the beauty pyramid because of certain aspects. Basic grooming is short term but also time consuming. If you are like me, I would hop onto the professional grooming first such eyelashes extensions, microblading, lasers, dentistry and only then focus on makeup, hair and clothes.

Eyelashes 9/10 (depends on the individual, right form makes an eye drastically bigger. There are C, M, D eyelashes. Some people absolutely don’t need it and it might look ridiculous on them. If you’re brighter skin colour, avoid harsh black fake eyelashes)
Microblading 9/10 (saves time, you have a perfect form for your eyebrows. If done correctly only. You shouldn’t try to save the money on this procedure because it’s permanent.
Lip blush 5/10 (okayish, it can only improve your lips by 10-20%, insignificant in terms of giving your face overall balance)
Dentistry 6/10 (my teeth were slightly crooked, I fixed it but overall it only slightly improved my facial balancing. For some people braces might be a must have, for others not. After two years I also got jaw problems, so do it carefully.
Professional teeth whitening 2/10 (doesn’t last long, just get strips).

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Cosmetology : Finding good dermatologist was key for me, she knows what my skin needs.

1. Salmon sperm injections 3/10. I did Rejuran, TwAc. (Too painful, first few days the face was red. After 4 weeks my face was smooth and glowing, effect is short term, lasts 1-2 weeks)
2. Plasma 5/10 (less painful, the skin is plump. A professional dermatologist should know how to get different types of cell for different skin problems)
3. Fotona laser for skin scarring 5/10 (skin improves by 10-20%, several rounds are needed. My scars were and still visible however I realised it doesn’t disturb the overall face balance too much overall. For some people it might be more severe, so it’s always individual dependent).
4. RRS NA Cellutrix. This meso was supposed to help me from being bloated. 1/10. Waste of time and money.
5. Rf microneedling 5/10 first time (it did tighten up my lower face area, I have chubby face. It can melt fat though, don’t recommend under eyes, on the forehead), 9/10 second time but no under eyes and no forehead, it really did tighten up my jowls after third child
6. BBL laser 1/10 (I don’t know why my previous dermatologist recommended it to me. I had no sun spots, was useless. For some people the effect might be 10/10).
   Let me mention Accutane again 10/10. Honestly you don’t need to do any of these injectable procedures, just get on low dose Accutane for some time and effects would be much better than any laser or injections except for Botox maybe. I know some people have prejudice against it but if you want a perfect skin, it is the best way.

Health
Splint for my jaw. 10/10 (if you get jaw arthritis you need it. My face looks much better now, not as bloated)
Sinusitis or allergies treatments, hormonal spray mometasone 10/10. (My nose gets smaller, less inflamed. Talk to the doctor about different hormones and options long term).
Gluten free, sugar free diet, lots of potassium foods for dinner. 10/10 (no bloating is key for attractiveness).
Taurine, helps with puffy face
Low Stress. Stress makes my skin dehydrated, bloated. It’s key for being attractive. Try to get under control your chronic stress. Don’t be afraid to get out of frames which society has burned us with.

I decided to make this post for women who are currently struggling with their looks and looking for some improvement. I wasn’t really attractive in my teenage years and my younger university years and unfortunately I think it affected my life satisfaction deeply. I wonder how my life would turn out if I was conventionally attractive after reading how it can affect grades, job prospects, potential partners. And I really want to help girls out there who are struggling.

Part 1. Basics are key

Skin health
My first life changing thing was Accutane. It is a miracle drug indeed. If you have thick skin, comedons on your nose, acne, and oily skin Accutane might improve the quality of your skin by 70-80%. Recent research also shows that it drastically reduces inflammation. My nose became smaller, my face became smaller, I wasn’t constantly so freaking puffy and swollen. I got my first boyfriend (I was 20) and suddenly 3 other guys wanted to date me, one literally wrote a love letter, wtf. I was shocked, that never happened to me previously. In the meantime I also lost weight.

Weight
That was my second change. Nothing drastic, 5-7 kg. I was healthy BMI before but in terms of attractiveness it doesn’t work like that. We need to be either thin or athletic with low body fat. Younger women can afford not exercising but as you get older and lose muscles, it’s better to start weight training or Pilates and gain lots of muscles, doing only cardio in many cases does nothing for a shape of the body. Cardio should be a supplement. I would also recommend have as few weight fluctuations as possible and increase your weight slightly as you get older.

Inflammation
Now let me say a few things about the diet which I personally didn’t know. For losing weight CICO is enough. But for a better look I recommend to study how certain foods affect your face. It turns out that gluten, sugar, too much milk and salt make my face puffy and inflamed. Now if I want to feel good about myself, I avoid these products.

Health and inflammation
I have/had chronic sinusitis, allergies and jaw problems, slight asymmetry due to habits. Fixing these things drastically changes my facial structure. For others I think even slightest health problems can also affect their appearance.

Priorities
A few words about priorities and how they work. I was pregnant three times and gained around 25kg on average every pregnancy and always bounced back to my 55kg weight. No diet, no exercise during pregnancy for me personally. And then after that, my body immediately becomes a second priority after kids. Yes, I am talking about if I had a choice between taking a shower or Pilates when baby is sleeping, I would always choose Pilates. Eating or Pilates? Pilates. You got me. Why was I so obsessed? Because I knew priorities matter. You can skip a shower and be stinky but then the next day you shower and it will be all fine. You can eat while you’re with a baby. Whereas with exercise and weight loss the change is accumulative and it needs 100% of your attention. Also, if you are postpartum wear a special tight underwear which holds your belly tight at all times. Gravity pulls the belly down, the underwear can help to avoid the tummy tuck.

So far that’s all for now. I will write part two later. Ask me anything!